Drinking The Ocean With A Straw...!!!

How late is it to talk about New Year Resolutions?

About five months..? And a few days..?

It is that late.

But, better late than never, right!

I am not a very big fan of Resolutions, per se. Because they test my resolve. And I am not a very big fan of tests.
LHS = RHS.
Q.E.D.

But towards the end of last year, when I was awake most of the nights, thanks to my baby, I had my smartphone to my rescue. And it was then that I stumbled upon this art of 'Hand-lettering'. I had encountered this term and art before, but it never really registered with me, until now. The different
fonts were beautiful, the supplies were simple and easy to procure and it was something that could be done in very little time.

So, my five-pointer checklist was greeny-green! 

• Creativity: check; 
• Speed: check;
• Interest: check;
• New: check
• Inexpensive: check.

And of course, the sanctity of creative base-lining, that a thing of beauty is a joy forever, was totally maintained.

I decided to give it a shot, with the supplies I had. And promised myself to secure the other fancy tools when I proved to myself that I was working on this with due diligence and sustained passion. The deal was to practice this art every day, which meant, I would have to create a hand-lettered note or message Every Day. Pretty doable, isn't it? (Or maybe not totally so. But as long as it sustains, even with a few random gaps in between, I think it is worth it, right!)

Just like a sunflower follows the Sun, I too combed the internet and started following some artists who seem to have already mastered this craft and who effortlessly encourage me.

It is absolute fun and very fulfilling, being able to create something new every day, even if it is inspired from someone else.

Below are some samples:

I am happy with the results. I want to show all of these to my Son when he starts understanding what this is all about, so that he too grows up to have a beautiful handwriting. Having typed this just now, I realize that I can't wait for him to grow up and hold his pencil and start writing. I live to see the day when he would make a card on my Birthday and/or Mother's Day and label it, "For The Best Mom In The Universe".

Wait, did I whizz past too fast?
Isn't there a lot that I need to do before hoping for this to happen.
Being the "Best Mom in the Universe" is no easy title, it has to be duly earned.
That too, before my baby can start making cards. 

So that he can justifiably use this title. In the cards he makes for me.

And Time, they say, flies. I better buck up!

Just for this one time, Yayy! for New Year Resolutions..!!!

5 Things That Are Fun To Believe In...!!!

1. Fairies

2. Santa Claus

3. Aliens

4. Magic

5. "Yourself"

Poem: "I Am That Woman"

** A Special booster shot of self-esteem for all the wonderful  women in our lives, and Us…!!!**

I float like the clouds

I burn like the sun

I flow like the river

I change on each turn

I twinkle like stars

I chirp like birds

I talk with colors

And paint with words

I am Character

I am Style

I am the one who

Stops your breath for a while

I am rhythm

I am the rhyme

I am purity and peace

I am close to divine

I am poetry

I am art

I am music

I am a class apart

I sparkle like diamonds

I am every good omen

Who happen once in a lifetime

I am That Woman.

** Need such a thing if only to remind myself that I Can - Be a Good Mom; Be a Role-Model for that one little baby who looks up at me every time with those adorable doe eyes; Be 'the person who lived a life living her dream'; all this and more when my eyes are sleep deprived and my body aching in places I didn't even know existed.**

Nature’s wish: On World Environment Day

#WorldEnvironmentDay

#NatureLove

** I am a Nature lover. Everyone in my family is. And I dearly wish my son grows up to be one too. 

Today, on the occasion of #WorldEnvironmentDay, here is a small poem I composed to tell him how much there is to learn from Mother Nature, how much there is to love, uninhibitedly. 

I live to see those days when he is old enough to experience the fun as we make paper boats to float in rain puddles and soil our clothes while gardening, when we will make bird feeders for our balcony and lie on our backs on the terrace, on clear night skies, trying to learn about constellations.

This poem is also about a lot of things that I wish for him, all the abundance, resplendence and tendance that Nature offers us on a day-to-day basis.

#NatureLove really grows on you! **

"Nature's Wish"

                                                              May the sea set you free

And the oceans make you roar

May you always happily chirp like the birds

May like the mountains you soar

May the wilderness make you brave

And like the clouds you float

May the storms teach you strength

So you may steadily row your boat

May trees tell you to live to give

May flowers ask you to smile

May rivers teach you to glow in your flow

With a spirit that makes the journey worthwhile

May you shine warm and bright like the early morning Sun

May your dreams twinkle like stars at night

May your tranquility like the moon and serenity like the dawn

Personify love at each sight

May each Sunset be an opportunity to reset

And each sunrise fill you with hope

May snowfall teach you to dance your heart out

and like the sky limitless be your scope

May the rocks by the road convey will-power and resolve

May the breeze spread your wings far and wide

May you be pure like the rains,smell like the soaked scented Earth

And may rainbows be always by your side...!!!

Rise and Shine Baby, Rise and Shine...!!!

My First Time As a #BloodDonor

#BloodDonors

#LifeDonors

#FirstTimeDonor


Scene 1:

A few years ago.

Mumbai.

As a member of my org’s CSR group, I got all notifications about which initiatives we were going to do next. So I knew there was a Blood Donation Camp organized in the weekend. I had never been a donor before, and neither had a friend of mine who then, wasn't too keen on being one either. Still, he agreed to tag along, incessantly teasing the skinny-me and insisting that he was accompanying me only to ensure that ready help was available if I passed out after donation.
So, all upbeat and gung-ho, we reached the venue.

As is the procedure, after signing all the forms and making our entries in the register, my index finger was pricked to check the hemoglobin. And instead of taking me to the room for donation, the doctor handed me out an A-4 paper printed on both sides, about what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding. Alas! I could not donate, as my Hb was below the required range.

I was heart-broken. And freaked out. But the doctor filled me in that there was nothing to worry about and that 6 out of 10 Indian women usually have low Hb. It just needed some diet and exercise adjustments to be on the other side, the better side.

My friend who was keenly observing all this and laughing his heart out teasing me, finally decided that he didn’t want to return empty-handed, so ended up donating blood himself, for the first time ever. I, at that time, felt almost guilty that he had to do it even when he wasn’t really interested; but he seemed to be enjoying every bit of the process. Once done, he had developed a very calm, almost saint-like aura around him. He was smiling and genuinely happy, so much so that he immediately called his mom and announced his big feat. I was, well, too confused, and sufficiently sad to say anything.

*****

Scene 2:

A few hours ago.

Hyderabad.

As a member of my org’s CSR group, I still get all notifications about which initiatives we are going to do next. So I knew there was a Blood Donation Camp organized over the next three days.

This time, with a bit more confidence about my Hb, I knew I wanted to do it.

So I reached the venue well on time.

As is the procedure, after signing all the forms and making our entries in the register, my index finger was pricked to check the hemoglobin. And instead of handing out an A-4 paper printed on both sides, about what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding, this time I was taken to the room for donation. Voila! My Hb was well within the range that permits one for donation.

My #FirstTimeDonor Certificate :)

After a while, I was there, I was doing it, I was a #FirstTimeDonor.

And as I lay there, I had this one bright thought flashing in my mind. I am usually a paranoid over-thinker and have often wondered that if I (heavens forbid) had to make a march towards heaven the next moment, I would probably be so restless there. There are so many things I want to do, so many books to read, so many painting to make, so many places to go, so many dishes to savor, so much work to do, so many lives to touch. How could I be at peace? I would be so restless, I would probably drive the angels bonkers, if such a thing was possible.

But in that one instant, I had that calm in my head and heart. I had a clarity that I might not have been as great as I thought I would be in so many things, but, if at all, I had to travel my last journey today, I would be at peace. And so would be the heavens above, for I would not drive them nuts! I had done a small bit of good, I had done a small bit for the society,  a small bit for the mankind. Suddenly I felt a sense of purpose that had just been accomplished, what if I was just getting started.

Thanks a bunch Team Mamata (The DC’s CSR Team) for taking such an initiative and providing this opportunity. If only my words could convey how much being a #FirstTimeDonor means to me, and how it has touched my life, just like that of thousands others.

Change happens in the now, revolutions happen in an instance. And as Mahatma Gandhi rightly said, if you want to see some change in this world, be it.

#BloodDonors #LifeDonors, may this tribe increase, may this clan prosper.
So happy to be one of you...!!!

Hobbmob is the way to be...!!!

#Art
#Hobbmob
#SomethingFunEveryDay


I have often read that there are no co-incidences in life. Whatever happens, is what we have attracted into our lives, by being on the same thought-frequency.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

And there are few better teachers in life than ART. 

Art is a way to escape into your wonderland when you have to stay put where you have to. It is an effortless means for time-travel. It is a way of dusting off the staleness and boredom from the regular, mundane everyday. It is what re-introduces you to yourself, and makes you more aware - of yourself, and everything else around you. 

It helps you find the biggest item on your wish-list: Peace of Mind. 

And then it takes you to that place where nothing else matters.

I am a big fan of this teacher called Art and whenever I am asked about my sole purpose in life, despite being a relatively lost soul, the one thing I know for sure is that I want to make this world a more beautiful place to live in.

Maybe it was this thought-frequency of mine that led me to this beautiful awesomeness of a girl called Rajvi - Founder and CEO of HobbMob - The entrepreneurial venture that is dedicated to providing you with the best Hobby Experience with your friends and family. Active in the cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Calicut and Kolkata, a Hobbmob workshop is something you have to attend to know what it tastes like. And once you do, you reach that creative spot from where there's no coming back.

Since Interviews are a big thing on my radar currently, there was no way I was missing this opportunity of doing this with Rajvi. And she was absolutely instrumental in rekindling my love for the creative sway of the hand and in the goodness called humanity.

Below are some glimpses of this sunshine spreading the cheer and excerpts from her interview.

*******

1. Please tell us about Yourself.

My name is Rajvi and I run a company called Hobbmob.

Hobb: hobby
Mob: group of people

Hobbmob tries to bridge hobbies with all of us :)

A part of me always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur but never in my wildest dreams had I thought that I’ll run a brand focused on Hobbies.

I love anything that’s offline and outdoors. (I LOVE THIS!) 

My favorite night is board games night and I’m obsessed about trying new stuff and experiencing things first hand.


2. Something about your educational and family background. About past jobs.

After completing high school in Indore, I moved to Boston where I studied Finance and Accounting for about 7 years. I worked there as a Financial Analyst and always found fun stuff to do over the weekend. From Macaroon Classes to Clay Modelling, I really utilized my weekends to create memories with my friends.


3. When did you realize that Craft was your calling. How was Hobbmob conceived.

When I moved back to India, I realized it wasn’t the same kind of India I left when I was 17. We were more connected and so much more aware of our surroundings and the world but our social experiences were still the same. Movies, dinner and clubs were the only way we decided to spend time with our loved ones, that’s when I knew there was a change that needed implementation and the idea of creative nights hence Hobbmob was born.


4.  Was HobbMob a part time thing that you took up as a Passion-project while retaining your day job or did you plunge into it head-on.

It was always a full time thing. I knew I needed to focus all my energies into this.


5. Do you have any mentors. Please tell us something about them.

I really look up to my sister. She’s younger than me but she makes my life more purposeful. She is my biggest critic and has a really different perspective.


6. What goes into the preparation of your next show. How is the idea conceptualized. What is the thought process. Please tell us about the physical/emotional challenges.

Every time we plan an event, the biggest challenge is to prep the artist and visualize the experience we are trying to put together. We always work with different artists and try to create a one of kind experience for all our participants.


7. Are you an early morning person or a late night-er. What time of the day are you at your creative and productive best.

I’m definitely not an early morning person. I work best when there is no noise. After 10 pm is when I am the most productive, no distractions and my phone is finally quiet.


8. Did you get the support you needed from your family, foraying into this territory? How did you hold yourself up. What/Who was your biggest support.

I have been very lucky to have the most supportive family and friends. My husband and my sister have been my biggest support. They force me to make tough decisions and really push me out of my comfort zone.


9. What keeps you up when the going gets tough.

I guess every entrepreneur goes through self doubt and fear for the future. What keeps me going is so much love from everyone who has participated in our workshops, complete strangers who message us on Hobbmob and appreciate what we do and the media as well- who covers us. All the appreciation is what keeps Hobbmob going.


10. How do you unwind after a long, busy day.

After a Long day, I love to paint and listen to some music. There have been times when I’m painting in the middle of the afternoon, just to take a break between my meetings. Art is the best meditation.

11. What is your ultimate aim in life. And, a philosophy you live by.

This may sound weird but my ultimate aim in life is to paint away all the white walls. I can’t stand white walls with white lights and boring structures. We need more people painting the walls in villages and painting away pillars with messages. I want to make everything around me more welcoming and artistic.

A philosophy I live by is- Let’s Make bigger tables and not higher walls. We all need to be more careful with what we say and how we treat one another.


12. Outside of work, any other commitments.

No, Hobbmob and my family is the only thing I’m committed to.


13. Which is your fav hobby and which art do you think people should focus on?

My personal favorite hobby is Pottery. I love how things are made out of clay. It’s such a beautiful process.

I think a lot more of us need to focus on Recycling and Up-cycling waste. We should be more aware of the things we dispose.

14. Do you want to put up an exhibition soon, or will it be just workshops for a while?

I guess it will just be workshops for a while. We tie up with a lot of artists, so may be we will go into the exhibition side of things, but nothing anytime soon.


15. How did you come up the idea of hobby kits?

We have always tried to break distance, time and convenience barriers.

We wanted people to be able to pursue their hobbies at their own time and convenience. These kits are also made keeping in mind people who live in smaller towns and are looking out for something creative and fun. (Readers, check out the Hobby Kits here)


16. What are the future plans with Hobbmob?

Our next step is to play into the corporate workshops and really promote art within individuals who are working constantly and necessarily not focused on hobbies. 

Art has the power to change you, make you more focused, reliable and increase concentration. We want to make art a part of their lives and also for them to develop stronger bonds with their peers.


17. A message for our readers.

If there is one thing you can do today, let that be to make a conscious effort to declutter your mind and truly be with yourself. 

*******

Rajvi interviewed like a song. Like that love song which can go on in your head for the whole day without knocking you out. 

These were the most candid, avant-garde and lovable answers my questions have received in a while. 

I wish her and Hobbmob all the heights and success they deserve, for there is no greater high than a job well done, and there can be no better job than that which brings unbounded happiness to you exactly while making this world a better, more beautiful place to live in...!!!

The Storyteller's Tale| Author Interview : Sunil Mishra's Transit Lounge

#KnowThyAuthor

Stories are our staple diet. Each one of us grows up on them. And sometimes, without us realizing anything, they grow on us; a little each day. A large part of us is made up of those tales which either we have heard, or told. 

So what makes a good storyteller?

It will always be this: the keen desire to tell the story, to make others feel one with the uniqueness each character of that story stands for and how they shape our line of thought.

As a dweller of the scintillating wonderland of stories, I have always been too keen to understand what goes in the storyteller's mind and heart, why they choose the words they do, how their thoughts are wired. And as an attempt in the same direction, when I ran into this opportunity to #KnowThyAuthor with Sunil Mishra over his debut book "Transit Lounge", I dived for it headlong. 

Transit Lounge is a contemporary book consisting of short incidents, observations and reflections while the author traveled to 30 countries across six different continents during the last 15 years. The book is a personal account of travels to places in Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand - pretty much around the globe. The book is a compilation of small incidents and events that occurred during such travels - like losing an air ticket, dealing with difficult custom officials or getting mugged in a prime location in a foreign country.

*****

Collaborating with him over emails, here is a brief account of the author's interview.

1. Please tell us about Yourself.

I am software professional with over 20 years of experience. I am currently working with Infosys and earlier worked with McKinsey, Accenture, Iflex and Tata Steel. I am an MBA from IIM Lucknow and B.Tech from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.

As part of my work I used to travel to different countries and that constituted the basis of my current book “Transit Lounge”.


2. How/Since when did you develop an interest in books.

I read books but not as many as I would have wanted to read. I started writing my current book sometime in 2007 and completed first draft in 2009. I was not successful in getting it published in my first attempt and I had dropped the idea. I tried publishing it again last year and was successful this time.

3. You have a very demanding full-time job, when do you write.

I write mostly during the weekends and late evening during the weekdays. I have not been regular at it. The key according to me is idea, time has not been so much of an issue.


4. Please tell us about your book Transit Lounge.

Transit Lounge is a contemporary book consisting of short incidents, observations and reflections while travelling to 30 countries across six different continents during the last 15 years. The book is a personal account of travels to places in Africa, South America, Asia, Europe, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. It was interesting to observe all these different cultures and people from an Indian’s perspective. The book is a compilation of small incidents and events during such travels.


5. How was the book conceived, what inspired it? Was it like You always maintained a journal during your travels with an intention to compile it into a book later on, or the idea came to you in a flashing instance, and the pages added up as you started writing. How long did it take for Transit Lounge to be in the shape it is now.

I used to write personal notes of individual travels, anything that I would find interesting. As I started blogging about some of these travels, I received positive reviews from my friends and well-wishers. It is then that the idea of collating this and publishing it as a book occurred to me.

I am extremely thankful to my friends who helped me overcome the initial hesitation and inertia to write this book. I also learned that getting a book published is probably one of the most difficult nuts to crack. As mentioned earlier I started writing sometime in 2007 and tried publishing in 2009 but did not get any publisher. I re-started the process last year and got it published this time. So it has been fairly long process for me.

6. What is your writing process in general: are you old school in terms of writing in ink on paper or you directly write on the laptop. What is the typical creative flow like.

I write on laptop directly as I find that more convenient. According to me writing itself is a learning process and evolves on its own.

7. As a regular writer, do you know what you are going to write today, or you just start off and let the ideas flow.

I think the writing process is pretty organic, many a times I don’t know how the things will eventually shape up. It is important to keep writing.

8. Do you ever suffer from the Writer's Block, and how do you overcome it?

Yes, I do suffer from the writer's block. I think the best way to overcome is to read related books. (Excellent advice, thanks so much Sir!)


9. Are their more books in the pipeline, what are they about.

Yes, I plan to write more books. My second book is a corporate fiction and is near completion. I hope to publish that sometime soon.

10. Have you considered exploring the realm of fiction, fantasy or any other genre, what do you think about it.

Yes, as I said earlier, my next book is a fiction. I read somewhere that there are three rules in fiction writing and the first one is "there are no rules". The other two rules do not matter. Fiction allows a writer to be highly creative and tell a story.

11. What kind of books do you like to read/ favorite author/favorite genre.

I read books but not as many as I would have wanted to read. Some of the classics I like, are Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and Animal Farm by George Orwell. I also like books on Indology. Among the contemporary writers I like Sanjeev Sanyal’s writing.

12. What do you do when not in office or not writing. What are your hobbies?

I do blog on Linkedin and sometimes write articles on digital technologies. I have also written a few articles on the changing role of mainstream media in the new digital world.

13. Any social commitments outside of work?

Nothing specific.


14. How do you unwind after a long, busy day.

Spending time with family, writing and reading books do help unwind.


15. A philosophy you live by.

Purpose of life is a life of purpose - quote from Robin Sharma "A monk who sold his Ferrari"

16. A message for our readers.

"The world is a book, and those who don't travel only read one page." – St. Augustine

Another one on traveler versus tourist – "The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." - G.K. Chesterton

My attempt to write the book has been to capture the traveler’s account, I enjoyed writing it and I hope it is equally liked by the readers.

*****

I have done Book Reviews before, and I love those books that make me want to review them as soon as I start reading, or even before I start reading. Like I mentioned in the beginning,  we consume stories, and they consume us. Transit Lounge is something I grew particularly fond of immediately after reading the blurb. 

One specific observation from this book was when the author ruminated this: When people in foreign lands ask us questions about India, expecting us to have ready answers, that is when we truly realize how less we know about our own country. This very sentiment makes me wait eagerly to finish reading Transit Lounge.

I hope Dear Readers, that you enjoy reading this interview, and the book subsequently, as much as I enjoyed drafting this post for you. 

Till we meet again, have fun @ Transit Lounge...!!!